Changes
by Sutaa-chan
Summary: A strange beast turns an oft forgotten character into something he doesn't wish to be, now his friends must change him back before he becomes Domino's worst nightmare! ~*FINISHED*~ (Warnings: Death and lots of gore)
1. Silver Grin

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the lyrics to "Mouth" by Bush. Obviously, Bush owns those. I own Joey's switchblade, though.

Author's Notes: I believe Tristan is a very ignored and underappreciated character, so I gave him something to be appreciated by. o^.~o The chapter titles and ending words are parts of lyrics from the song "Mouth" by Bush, the theme song for An American Werewolf in Paris, one of the best werewolf movies out there. Yes, I am Gothic, but cheerfully Gothic! o^.^o

**Changes**

**Chapter One: Silver Grin**

            It was dark and quiet as Tristan walked home from the small Duel Monsters tournament that had been held at the arcade. He was alone and starting to get a little jumpy from the scratching noises he was certain he heard. The puddles of yellow light made from streetlamps caused shadows to be darker, alleys to seem like black gateways into Gothic worlds, and his adrenaline level to rise from the recent stories of murders at night during the full moon.

            And worst of all, it was the full moon. It came out from behind a cloud for a moment, illuminating the dark street a little more and assuring him no one but he was walking there. These assurances soon vanished when he caught a glimpse of something moving out of the corner of his eye. Turning around he saw what appeared to be a very large and shaggy black dog. It glared up at him with illuminated yellow eyes. He knew about feral dogs and to stay still when you saw one and it saw you. He didn't look into its eyes and he kept his fingers curled into fists, standing as tall as possible; a feat easily accomplished for an almost six foot tall teenager.

            This, unfortunately, was no ordinary dog. It snarled and crept closer, baring its sharp fangs, but the brunette stayed still. When it began to charge him, he turned and ran as fast as he could. He could hear it gaining on him and he ducked into an alleyway, quickly finding a small open window down to a basement, and he slipped in as quickly as he could.

            However, he was not quick enough. Just as he was closing the small window the creature's jaws clamped down on his arm, tearing and biting at him before he shut the window and locked it. It snarled and made strange screaming noises at the window, scratching and pounding the glass in an attempt to get in. When a light went on inside the house and the door to the basement opened, it immediately quieted and ran off, snorting and growling.

            Tristan clutched his wounded arm tightly, whimpering softly, and a person with a flashlight came down the stairs.

            "Who's there?!" a young male voice called, and the injured boy whimpered louder, trembling from fear and pain. The flashlight's beam shone on him and he pulled his knees to his chest, shaking harder. "Are you okay?" the man asked softly, slowly walking over. "What happened?" he inquired as he knelt beside the brunette. He simply trembled and the man called up to someone above to call an ambulance, then turned back to the boy and asked him again what had happened.

            "A...a dog attacked me...." he murmured, staring up with terror-filled green eyes. "It was huge, and it chased me in here...."

            "Don't worry, an ambulance is coming...was it foaming at the mouth?"

            "No..."

            "Good, but I think you should get checked for rabies anyway. What's you name, kid?"

            "Tristan Taylor..."

            They both looked up when a woman about the same age as the man came down the stairs.

            "What happened, honey? Is someone hurt?"

            "Yeah, this kid says he was attacked by a big dog. Did you call an ambulance?"

            "Yes."

            "Good." He turned back to Tristan and asked him where he lived and what his phone number was. The boy replied with the correct information and the man helped him up the stairs. His arm was still bleeding, and something worse was going to happen. Something much worse....

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            Yugi sighed softly. Tristan had been in the hospital for nearly three weeks now with a burning fever and occasional convulsions. It wasn't rabies, they had checked, and it wasn't an allergic reaction of any sort. The doctors were stumped and the only thing they could find that was happening was that his metabolism was rapidly changing. Something was happening to him and no one knew what.

            "Is he okay?" Joey asked for the trillionth time to a passing nurse. She said his condition hadn't changed and he was still sleeping, occasionally crying out in his sleep. He called for random people and kept saying 'no' over and over sometimes, but he always calmed down after a while. He seemed to be having nightmares.

            Everyone was worried for the poor boy, but Joey was the most worried of everyone. Tristan was like a brother to him, and if anything happened to him Joey would probably kill himself. It would be done before he remembered his sister.

(())(())(())(())(())**All Your Mental Armor...**(())(())(())(())(())


	2. Soul Machine

**Changes**

**Chapter Two: Soul Machine**

            Tristan sighed softly as he walked through the nearly empty park. He had been restless the past few days, constantly pacing and he had an almost insatiable hunger now, especially for meat. He'd been having strange dreams as well; dreams of forests and hunting, of the full moon and howling at it like he was a wolf. He wondered what that dog was, even if it was a dog, because dogs didn't scream like that thing had. It was almost human....werewolves didn't exist, though, everyone knew that. He couldn't be a werewolf, he was just paranoid! And the doctors said his metabolism had changed, that was all. It was probably just hormones of some sort....right?

            It was dark now, and he remembered the night he had been attacked. The beautiful moon....why did he keep thinking that?! He kept thinking how beautiful the moon was, how nice grass felt, how sweet blood tasted...he was going crazy, he just knew it!

            He sat on a park bench and watched the moon slowly rise into the sky. He soon got up, though, and continued walking. He was just so full of energy and he didn't know what to do with it.

            The brunette had gotten to a small drainage ditch with a little bit of water running through in a small stream when he stopped suddenly. His eyes widened and he cried out and clutched his stomach, his muscles cramping and going into spasms. He fell to the ground and moaned, somehow glad he was alone, and he ripped off his shirt from the burning heat surging through his veins. He felt the hairs on his arms and legs prickle and he felt tingling all over. He rolled limply into the little stream of dirty water and tore off his pants hurriedly. He splashed water in his hair and ran his fingers through it, combing it down to its normal shoulder length. It was still a little stiff from the gel, but he didn't care. Sweet pain raced through his blood, power sang through him, and he fought the urge to howl at the top of his lungs. He didn't know what the hell was going on with him but he didn't care one bit. It felt so damn _good!_

            Tristan heard his bones crack and crunch and twist and his muscles bulged; his body sprouted long brown hair all over and his ears lengthened and pointed into wolf ears. His face slowly grew into a muzzle and sharp fangs and canine teeth formed from the human ones. His knees popped backwards and allowed him to stand comfortably on four feet. Finally, his hands shifted into paws and the quick of his nails grew down, covering his new claws.

            He now looked like a large brown wolf with no tail and a short muzzle. His paws were more hand-like than any other kind of animal paws and his ears were too large to be a wolf's. Tristan was a werewolf, and he was thirsty for blood.

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            Josephine Reynolds walked slowly through the park. A late-night stroll was nice, especially since those murders had stopped. She assumed the killer had moved on since everyone now stayed inside. It was an assumption that would kill her.

            The murderer had been a werewolf, but no one knew or believed that. It had been the same werewolf that had bitten Tristan, and he was roaming the same park she was. He moved quickly and quietly, sniffing the air for prey. He smelled her sweet perfume and followed the scent carefully, coming up behind her. He saw with infrared vision, as all canines did, and he saw her body glow warmly against the dark night. So young, so full of blood...and flesh.

            Josephine turned around when she heard a few footsteps behind her and rustles in the bushes. A dog or what looked like a dog stood there, glaring at her with green eyes that shone like lanterns. It was a big dog and she was afraid of dogs, especially when they growled at her like this one did. She started to run, and turned around for the final glimpse of her life. The beast immediately leapt upon her and ripped her throat to shreds, killing her instantly. She fell to the ground limp and blood pouring from her open throat. The wolf began to tear her body and feed, lapping up the deliciously sweet blood and the soft, warm flesh....

            When he was finished with his meal, he let out a long and loud howl, deep and unearthly; a howl fitting a demon wolf.

(())(())(())(())(())**The Longest Kiss...**(())(())(())(())(())


	3. We've Been Missing Long Before

Author's Notes: I promise the next chapter will have more action and blood and gore! ....I'm a sick little puppy, ain't I?

**Changes**

**Chapter Three: We've Been Missing Long Before**

            Olive green eyes slowly opened and the sound of water dripping and running echoed through small, circular walls. A damp, sour smell filled the air and Tristan groaned and tried to breathe through his mouth. He tasted blood in his mouth; had he passed out and fallen down into that ditch and bitten his tongue? He slowly sat up and looked around. No, he wasn't in the ditch anymore; he was in the pipes leading to the ditch. He had his partially torn clothes next to him, and he was covered with dirt and almost dried blood. His stomach felt strangely full. What had happened to him? The last he remembered was standing next to that ditch....

            Slowly he remembered the dog. It hadn't had a tail, that was strange...and it had screamed. And then he remembered a movie he had seen once about werewolves, where the werewolf didn't remember doing what he had done when morning came. And they were always covered in blood and dirt and...oh, _shit_.

            "I'm a werewolf...I can't believe it...this can't be happening, _this can't be happening!_" the brunette gasped, his voice raspy and his throat sore. He shivered; it was cold without his clothes on. He looked through the pile of cloth and found the only wearable clothing to be his jeans. He quickly pulled them on and curled up into a tight ball. This could not be happening...he repeated those words over and over to himself. This just had to be a bad dream...but it was real.

            '_I can't go home now..._' he thought. '_I'd hurt everyone..._' The boy whimpered and began to cry.

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            "For our top story, the full moon murders have begun again, this time the victims seem to be half eaten. Police are beginning to think a wild animal is loose in the city, so if at all possible, stay indoors at night and don't walk home alone. In other news, a local high school boy has turned up missing. Tristan Taylor vanished last night--"

            "Tristan?!" Yugi yelped, and Joey nearly spat out his orange juice. Joey had showed up that morning for breakfast since the stove at their house was broken and his father was too drunk to call a repairman. They watched and listened closely.

            "If anyone has any information on where he might be, contact this number on the screen." The number with a picture of Tristan above it appeared and Yugi slowly turned to Joey.

            "Tristan's gone?"

            "D'ya think that thing...got 'im?"

            "I hope not!" Yugi shuddered at the thought of one of his best friends killed and....half eaten by some wild creature. It was too disturbing to think of... "Let's go find Téa and Bakura and see if they've heard anything..."

            "Yeah..." the blonde replied, and they both slowly stood up and walked out the door, quickly saying goodbye to Yugi's grandfather.

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            "We haven't seen him, either. Where could he have gone?" Téa sighed, looking very worried. Bakura looked frightened and stayed silent. How could this have happened? And he'd thought it was such a peaceful town, too...

            "Well, he's got no family problems or anythin', and he just got back from the hospital, so you'd think he'd stick close ta home..." Joey stated softly.

            "That might be it! They said he went out for a walk in the park, and maybe he had a relapse and passed out somewhere! We need to find him _now!_" Yugi exclaimed, and the agreement was unanimous.

(())(())(())(())(())**Never Found Our Way Home...**(())(())(())(())(())


	4. Broken Me

Author's Notes: Gore and drama! Whee! o^.^o

**Changes**

**Chapter Four: Broken Me**

            Oh no oh no oh _no!_ Not this again!

            Tristan moaned as the pain once again shot through his body. It was unpleasant this time; he didn't WANT to be a werewolf! He had stayed curled up in that pipe almost all day and he planned to stay there forever. The wolf part of him, however, had different plans. His body crunched and changed into the wolf shape, his mind going mostly primitive, his senses heightening, and all the time in the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't be doing this.

            An unearthly howl echoed through the drainpipes, heard by no one.

            But soon, everyone would hear him howl.

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            Oliver Princeton, a middle-aged man who was still nagged into taking out the garbage by his wife, slowly proceeded to the metal bins with the trash-filled bag. He lifted the lid, dropped in the black plastic sack, and turned to walk away. He heard behind him a clatter and turned to see something large and hairy crawling out of the manhole. It looked at him with blazing green eyes and snarled, its sharp fangs gleaming from the light of the streetlamps. He turned to run back into the house and made it to the steps when he heard an inhuman scream behind him and then saw nothing; blackness.

            The beast tore and ripped the heavy, fat-filled body, knowing the taste was not as good as flesh but just as filling. The door opened and light spilled into the street; a fat woman in her mid forties stood there, her mouth open and her eyes wide. He snarled and the door abruptly slammed shut; he heard the click of a lock. He growled to himself, almost pouting that his meal had been ruined. Once one human came to the scene, there was an annoying swarm, like bees or ants. He padded quickly to the manhole again and leapt down, not bothering to cover it again. They'd never find him down there.

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            The wolf crept up the sewer ladder, glad his paws were almost hands in their shape, and nuzzled away the manhole cover. He leapt up into a dark alleyway where a policeman stood at the end of it, gun drawn and ready. He snarled; what would a gun do? Those stupid bullets could do nothing to him! Silver was the key, and they didn't know that. The policeman fired; it hit his leg and caused pain, but he shook it off and lunged. The man was dead with one bite. Humans were so easy to kill, and there were so many he'd stay full forever!

            A light shone in his eyes and he blinked. Oh, damn, another human. Another policeman with those damned guns. They couldn't kill him but they sure as hell did hurt. He leapt easily over the man and loped into the street where policemen and police cars surrounded him. Humans sure could swarm.

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            It had been two minutes and already a large crowd had gathered. The creature was inside the ring of cop cars and was turning in circles and screaming and roaring angrily. No shots had been fired since the creature kept moving very quickly and a stray bullet could kill someone.

            Joey's brown eyes burned from unshed tears. He knew who it was. He'd seen Tristan in the park earlier around dusk, clad only in jeans and his hair down, and had followed him. He found him hanging around near a large drainpipe, large enough for something to live in.

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            "What are you doing here? Are you okay?" he had asked.

            "No, I'm not..."

            "Well c'mon, you gotta get back home!"

            "I can't go home."

            "Why the hell not?!"

            "Because..." he had turned away and clenched his fists in anger, "...Because I'm not human anymore."

            "What the hell does that mean?! You look human enough for me! What kinda stupid joke are you playin' 'dis time?!" he had shouted, his Brooklyn accent showing strong.

            "This isn't a joke! I'm serious, I'm not what I used to be!"

            "Well, what are you now?"

            "I'm a werewolf."

            Joey had burst out laughing, shaking his head and holding his stomach. Tristan had growled angrily, and Joey's laughs had slowed.

            "Hey, 'dat's a pretty good impression of a dog..."

            "It's not an impression."

            "Yeah, 'den what is it?"

            Tristan had snarled again, this time an authentic canine sound from deep within his throat. No human could do that. Joey had straightened up and his chocolate brown eyes had widened.

            "T-Tristan, man...a-are you okay?"

            "No...and you won't be if you don't get out of here by moonrise."

            "What the hell are you talkin' about?" He hadn't meant to let his voice shake, but he couldn't help it. He had truly begun to be scared by his own best friend.

            "I'm a werewolf, Joey. I'm going to change and I'm going to kill people...I don't want to, but I can't help it. I don't even remember it!"

            "What...? Y-you can't be serious, man!"

            He had turned to look at Joey with dangerous green eyes.

            "Oh, I'm serious, Joey. Very, very serious."

            At that point Joey had taken a shaky step backwards. The brunette was really serious. He was, or he thought he was, a werewolf.

            "D'ya think ya can, y'know, stop it or somethin'?"

            "No, I can't." He had sighed and hung his head. "But maybe you can find a way. Yugi knows about magic, right? Tell him about me. Ask him if he can....help me...." Tears had begun to stream down his face and his shoulders had been trembling. "I don't want to do this anymore...." he had whispered softly, and Joey nodded.

            "I'll get help, don't you worry."

            And with that he had left.

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            Now he stood with his friends and a large crowd of other people staring at a circle of cops and cars with a werewolf in the middle. He recognized that brown hair and he recognized those green eyes, even if they did almost glow in the dark.

            "'Dat's Tristan. I know it is."

            "What?! That's a dog or something, that's not Tristan!" Téa cried, looking at him like he was crazy.

            "I told you already, he's a werewolf, now keep it down!" he hissed, clenching his fists. "I told you I saw him in the park today. He growled and it sounded real, and now we can see 'im. He's a werewolf."

            "Those things don't exist!" Yugi whispered, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. A shot was fired and it ricocheted off a car and zipped into an alley, fortunately hitting no one. They all winced when they heard it and the creature roared louder, almost in a challenge.

            "Well, they do now." Joey whispered and everyone watched in amazement as the animal leapt onto the hood and roof of a car, lunged to the side, and bounded off into the darkness of the alley and headed towards the park. Joey squirmed through the crowd of people and took of running down the street towards the entrance of the park. His friends followed and called for him to stop. Yugi finally caught up with him and yanked on the tail of his trenchcoat, making him stop. They were in the park now and running down one of the concrete pathways that ran through the area like gray streams.

            "Why are you following him? He'll kill us!" Téa nearly shouted.

            "Even if it is Tristan, he's not going to recognize us! He's a _wolf!_" Yugi exclaimed.

            "I know it's him, and we're too far gone to go back. Now let's go." he began to walk away but turned around when he didn't hear a fourth pair of footsteps. Bakura was standing quietly, looking at the ground when he looked up and smiled nervously.

            "I-I'd rather go home, thank you..."

            Joey sighed.

            "You know he's in this park and he can smell you, right? It's better if you stayed with us. Safety in numbers, you know."

            Bakura looked very frightened at that statement.

            "Right then, let's go! Tally ho, as they say..." he said, less than enthusiastic about what they were doing. Joey smiled grimly and turned around, walking once more.

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            They had gotten halfway through the park when a large brown canine crossed their path and quickly looked up, snarling. It began to approach when Joey whipped out a switchblade and the blade shot into view. The beast abruptly stopped and growled, backing away and little and bristling.

            "I know you remember this, Tristan, and I know you remember that this is part silver." he spoke quietly, his accent temporarily leaving him. He never faked it; it was a real accent but he could get rid of it when the situation did not call for gangster sound-alikes. Right now was one of those times. The creature growled at him, softer this time.

            "Joey..." Yugi began, but Joey motioned with his other hand to keep quiet.

            "I'm gonna try to help you, buddy, but you gotta help me, too. Don't kill anyone else tonight, okay? Just stay in that little drainpipe where we can find you. We will help you, somehow, we promise." Joey spoke softly; his tenor voice was very soothing to hear. "I don't wanna use this on ya, pal. I don't wanna kill you, but if you give me a reason I'm gonna have no choice. So go on, go back there and stay there for a while, okay?"

            The creature snarled and backed away a little, then ran across the path and into the bushes. The blonde boy re-sheathed the switchblade and turned around to walk away.

            "Since when do you have a switchblade?" Yugi asked quietly.

            "Since sixth grade. Took a lotta money ta get 'dis baby." he smiled and felt it in his pocket. He'd gone without a lot of lunches for that.

            "Why--"

            "Don't ask, Yug', just don't ask."

            The boy with tri-colored hair stayed silent. They continued to walk quickly out of the park and into the light of the street, turning in the direction of the Game Shop.

(())(())(())(())(())**We Can't Breathe When You Come Around...**(())(())(())(())(())


	5. Drift Madly To You

Author's Notes: --NC--? You wanted plot, here's an entire plot twist! o^.^o Never give me ideas, they only prolong the torture of reading my stories.

**Changes**

**Chapter Five: Drift Madly To You**

            Never ask a demon wolf anything. They won't listen.

            Tristan headed into the drainpipe, alright, but he kept going further into the sewers. What did he need friends for? He just needed himself, no one else.

            Especially not that kid with the silver switchblade.

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            Joey sat with his hand supporting his chin, thinking hard. How could they help Tristan when they didn't even know where to start? He hated his habit of making promises that were very hard to keep.

            "A silver bullet?" Yugi suggested.

            "We don't wanna kill 'im! Just cure 'im or somethin'..."

            "Um..."

            "My thoughts exactly." The blonde sighed. Werewolves were more complicated than he thought....

            "Who wants the couch bed?" Téa called from the living room. No citizens were allowed outside after dark so Téa, Bakura, and Joey had to stay at Yugi's for the night. Bakura quickly called for the couch bed and Joey pouted a little. Darn that British...um, twit! Yeah, that's a good insult...

            "Yug', do you have any ideas? I mean, you are the big magic expert, right?" Joey queried the shorter boy. He looked away with a flush of guilt.

            "Um...I don't really know....My grampa might have a book that could, though! He has a lot of interesting books on magic and stuff!" he exclaimed, his violet eyes bright. They ran to the bookcase to see Téa and Bakura already scanning the titles. Joey tried to sneak over to the couch bed, but Bakura spotted him out of the corner of his eye.

            "Don't even think about it."

            "Right..."

            They continued to look when a thought struck Bakura.

            "Does your darker side have any ideas?" he asked Yugi, and the small boy paused. He stared off into space for a moment before answering.

            "He says there were no werewolves in Egypt. Not that he knew of, anyway."

            "It was worth a shot..."

            /_I thought the pharaoh knew everything about his kingdom./_

            //_I seriously doubt there were werewolves in Egypt, Yugi. I heard stories about them from the north, but never from Egypt.//_

            /_How far north?/_

            //_France.//_

            /_Oh. That far./_

            They continued to search but found nothing. Werewolves just weren't popular subject material. Joey collapsed onto his makeshift bed with a sigh. Would they ever get Tristan back?

            They heard a car door slam outside and then a knock on the door. Yugi cautiously opened the door and peeked out. Seto Kaiba pushed his way through and glared, a leather bound book in the crook of his arm.

            "I heard you had trouble with a werewolf, am I right? It's that Tristan kid, isn't it?" he said curtly, his last sentence more of a statement than a question. Yugi nodded and Seto set the book down on the table. The title was simply "Lycanthropy" with a silver pentagram below it.

            "How'd you know it was Tristan?" Yugi inquired softly.

            "Because he was bitten during the full moon by a 'large dog', stayed in the hospital for three weeks with a fever and a rapidly changing metabolism, and now he's missing with a large canine without a tail running loose in the city. I can put two and two together, you know, and I think this book may help you out a little."

            "Whaddaya, stalk us or somethin'?" Joey glared at the wealthy duelist, crossing his arms over his chest. Seto smirked.

            "Something like that."

He opened the book.

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            The walls were damp and a sour smell was in the air, mingling with the stench of rotted leaves and flesh. A man with black hair and golden eyes sat glaring at a five pointed star tilted to one side inside a circle. The symbol was etched into the black wall without much care, just a marking of territory. And now his territory was being invaded by that younger wolf.

            He had meant to kill the boy, but if he hadn't been such a fast runner this never would have happened. If he had pounced right then, if he had just....but he hadn't. And now there was competition for food.

            The boy would have to die.

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Tristan found a small room-like area leading to a maze of tunnels made by Moon knows who. He didn't care. It made a nice den. He was a human now, or human in shape, and it was time for sleep. He'd been running too much and that bullet in his left arm hurt like hell. He would sleep and then he would make those humans sorry. Sorry they ever shot him. Sorry they ever saw him. Sorry they ever heard him howl.

            Sorry that any of those pathetic creatures were ever his friends.

(())(())(())(())(())**Stolen Me**(())(())(())(())(())


	6. Wish It All For You

Disclaimer: All the werewolf ideas and scientific names are **_MINE_**, so no stealing. It took me a long time in Honors Biology to learn all that stuff and it took even longer over the Internet to find perfect scientific names fer 'em. The appearances of the werewolves, however, go to all the myths and stories I have read and all the werewolf movies I've seen. Yes, I _am_ obsessed. Thank you for noticing. o^.~o

Author's Notes: I decided to lighten the mood a little....well, for a little while, anyway. _Seto__ parle français!_ o^.^o

Here's a note for my story "Cat's Cradle": Thank you for the wonderful information, Ruki! o^.^o And it works just the same if you use your index fingers, I know, but if you wrap the string around your thumbs it comes out a little weird-looking.

Yugi: *stares at Yami Bakura* They didn't have Cat's Cradle in Egypt.

Yami Bakura: Yeah, well I learned it from a guy who learned it from a guy who learned it from a Chinese guy visiting Canaan, and if you'll remember Canaan was a country close to Egypt but also close to Asia that didn't like Egypt but that's too bad because they aren't here anymore, now are they?

Star: o-.-o;; We aren't giving you anymore popsicles...*kick* Now get back in that story! o^.^o

**Changes**

**Chapter Six: Wish It All For You**

The ingredients were rather simple, if a little odd. Thirteen-year-old rust (fortunately Yugi had an old tricycle in the attic), six teaspoons of pond water (they hoped puddle water from a drainpipe would do), six hairs from a black cat (the cat wasn't too pleased about this), six drops of blood (obtained from Joey, who was the one who tried to catch the cat), and the nectar from thirteen wolfsbane flowers. Seto had brought some, remarkably.

            "Where'd you get those?" Téa questioned innocently. Seto grinned.

            "I have a small garden for plants that are considered magical in any way."

            "Pardon my French, but you are one crazy sonuvabitch." Joey stated bluntly, still nursing his wounded arm

            "_Vous__ êtes un imbécile_, Joey." Seto replied fluently, a smug grin crossing his face when the blonde tilted his head to the side in confusion. "I have them for occasions like this, actually. You never know when a werewolf or something like that is going to show up." Joey still continued to give him a weird look and Seto continued to watch the ingredients in the small vial bubble as he held it over a lighter's flame. Where he'd gotten the lighter, we may never know.

            "So we just go to Tristan and have him drink this, right?" Yugi said to change the subject. Seto nodded.

            "Unless his mind has been altered by being part wolf, we should be able to give it to him."

            "What do you mean, altered?" Bakura asked sharply, looking up from the couch.

            "If he's been part wolf for too long, he'll start to think like one. He'll begin to think of humans as prey and he won't mind killing them."

            "How long does this usually take?" Yugi inquired, worry lurking within his bright violet eyes.

            "It depends."

            "So he could already be thinking like that."

            "I hope not."

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            A stabbing pain in his left arm woke Tristan the next morning. The moon had been low when he had shifted back to human shape and he prided himself on his new control over his body. Soon he might even be able to shift at dusk...or earlier.

            To him, humans were overpopulating pests. They destroyed forests and entire species creatures every day, despite some feeble efforts to save them. They had "domesticated" animal for pets; it was shameful to see what used to be a powerful wolf in the shape of a fluffy poodle. He knew there were more like him, more that could take the guise of friend by day and predator by night, killing the humans and ridding the earth of their pestilence. They were slow, stupid, clumsy, and delicious. They were the perfect prey, and they bred with each other so often it would be many generations of werewolves before they were extinct and only the perfections would remain. The perfections being werewolves, that is.

            Werewolves did not get sick. They did not destroy everything for no reason. They did not overpopulate. And it took a long time for them to die. It was easy to live one hundred years as a werewolf. Humans would use the gift for greed, and that's why there were so few of them. And humans didn't know just how many varieties of werewolf there was.

            _Homo lupus_ was the binomial nomenclature, or double name, for all werewolves. But there is a class that is smaller than species—variety. _Homo lupus immortalis_, "Immortal Man-wolf", only killed by silver because not even old age could take them. However, they were very rare because they did not breed often.

_Homo lupus_ _erectus_, "Erect Man-wolf", a wolf that always stood on two feet with amazing regenerative capabilities. Unfortunately, old age could take them, but they were a little more abundant than the first.

_Homo lupus castitas_, "Pure Man-wolf", named for its almost pure wolf-like appearance. The only way to distinguish it from a real wolf was that they were larger, had slightly less body hair and a larger ruff, and their tails were thin and not very long. They were actually quite common but lived in remote areas and could be killed by almost anything. They could also shift at any time; day or night, but preferred the concealing night.

Finally, _Homo lupus mutare_, "Changing Man-wolf"; what Tristan was. They could adapt to anything and were most abundant. They did not have tails and their ears were pointier than most wolves and their eyes glowed at night. They ran in leaping motions and had scream-like roars; their reflexes were lightning-fast. Only silver killed them but they were low in intelligence and did not try to conceal themselves or protect their lineage by not going out in public. Those who knew they were werewolves almost immediately killed them, and that is why they bred like rabbits or bit humans, though the latter was usually an accident. Whatever they bit, they usually killed.

Tristan had finally managed to wrench the bullet out of his arm and tore his jeans further to make a bandage. It still hurt like hell but he would heal quickly; his variety always did. Well, so did several others—in fact nearly ALL werewolves healed quickly. But why did he care about others? All he needed was he, himself, and him. No one else. No goody-two-shoes "friends". And definitely not that other werewolf that shared the tunnels with him.

"You know I can smell you. You know I know you're here. It is almost time for the final showdown." the brunette spoke quietly to himself, but he was speaking as if the other were right in front of him. At moonrise, it would be decided who was going to be the only lycanthrope in Domino City.

He only wondered what the other man's name was.

(())(())(())(())(())**Pretty Just Deserts**(())(())(())(())(())

Argh...short, I know, but I'm getting there! Plus, I wanted to show off how smart I was. Me is ejimucaded. o^.~o By the way, the potion used is not a real potion, I just made up some Gothic-sounding ingredients because I don't know THAT much about werewolves. Our little library has few resources for that sort of thing because SOME certain God-obsessed church freaks like to come in, take the books, and burn them because they are "Satanic". *whistles* Oh Fluuuuffyyyy! Here, werewolf, werewolf, werewolf...I got some din-din for ya... (I am SO going to Hell for that...)


	7. Peeling Furniture Days

Author's Notes: NC? Jim can hurt _all _the people he wants...well, the people that Fluffy doesn't turn into lycanthrope din-din first, that is. o^.^o Demonic bunnies are the best bunnies...like pink bunnies! And sporks! ....Pink bunnies...and....SPOOOORKS! @.o;; *thud* Owies...

*holds up chapter* Hey, where's the plot? Heeere, plotty, plotty, plotty...guess that's why I titled the chapter what I did...*whistles* heeeere plot, where aaare you plot...

**Changes**

**Chapter Seven: Peeling Furniture Days**

            Someone's mind altered by being part wolf? This was not good.

            Yugi shuddered at the thought of his friend not caring whether someone lived or died. That just wasn't like Tristan! He was quiet but he said what he meant, and he wasn't that smart but he thought logically, and he kept calm most of the time and he wasn't unnerved too easily. Joey sometimes rubbed him the wrong way, but they were still such close friends...almost brothers, it seemed.

            "Yugi?" Bakura waved a hand in front of his friend's face. He'd been staring forward with a blank expression on his face for almost three minutes now, and they could tell he was not talking to Yami. That usually only lasted for a second. Yugi blinked and looked up at the silver-haired boy.

            "Yeah?"

            "Are you alright?"

            "I'm fine...just worried about Tristan."

            "I understand...what a way to find out that werewolves exist, huh?"

            "Yeah..." Yugi immediately returned to being quiet and staring blankly forward. Werewolves...how many were there out there? And where was the one that had bitten Tristan? Had it gone away or...or was it still there? Lurking in the shadows, just waiting for someone to come along and...he shivered at the gruesome thought. He looked over at Joey and was a little surprised to see him blinking back tears, even if some fell anyway. The poor boy missed his friend so much...and he could have killed him with that silver switchblade.

            And suddenly a strange thought entered his mind. Why would Joey have a switchblade that was part silver? Why would he have one at all? He had been part of a gang once, but he still wouldn't have gotten something as expensive as silver blade. Knowing Joey, he would have settled for something that was made of the same material as a fork (and he might have just used the fork), but why had he skipped so many lunches and saved up so much money just for a silver knife he wasn't going to use? Then again, why did people go to such lengths to get a bean-bag toy or a plastic doll or a rare coin? People had collections to suit their interests, so perhaps Joey had a sort of collection going. He always was a little strange...

            "What are you thinking about now?"

            "Bakura! You startled me!"

            "Sorry..."

            "Well," Yugi lowered his voice to a whisper, "I was thinking about Joey. Why he has that silver switchblade. Do you think he has a collection of some sort?"

            "Knowing him and that ridiculous accent he probably has a lot of gangster-like things." The two boys chuckled at the joke and Joey glared at them.

            "I heard that! Who has the ridiculous accent, ya British pansy?! Go back to London! Get eaten by a werewolf there, preferably an American one!"

            "How dare you! I'll have you know I do NOT come from London, you Yankee twit!"

            "I'm NOT a Yankee!"

            "You are, too!"

            "Queen Elizabeth's a man and she wore army boots to bed with the King!"

            "Your grandfather was Al Capone!"

            "Shakespeare was French!"

            "GUYS!" Téa shouted, giving them both a look that said 'Shut the hell up or I'll show you what's worse than _thirty _werewolves!'. They immediately quieted and Yugi fell to the floor laughing. All three gave him death glares.

            "I can't *giggle* help it! *hiccup* You two *snicker* know the silliest *hiccup* insults!"

            "Twit."

            "Fern head."

            "BOYS!"

            "Sorry..."

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Golden eyes looked around his domain. The beautiful tunnels had been built to be part of the sewer but never connected to it. There was one place, however; a tall, cylindrical room crisscrossed with metal catwalks that lead into the tunnels and eventually to a metal stair that went down to an opening to a drain. The drain leaked water into the bottom of the room where another drain covered with a filter was supposed to suck it away. Lately the thing had become quite polluted with leaves and even more disgusting things, and what made matters worse was that the light from the lamp on one side of the room turned the water a sickly yellow with light of the same color. There were islands of asphalt here and there, perfect for trapping difficult prey.

            The golden eyes belonged to a man who had long since forgotten his name and who he used to be. For over fifteen years he had been traveling from place to place and had finally come to rest at Domino City. He would move on soon, but that would be as soon as he killed that boy whom he had bitten. Werewolves sometimes trained those they had bitten, but that was usually in large cities where they killed bums and people with no families and no place to go, not even down. This was a relatively small place and he had no time to be training young cubs when it would just be easier to kill them. They would die anyway.

            Some would call him insane. Others would say paranoid. Still others would say he was "emotionally challenged" or disturbed. The truth was that he was a werewolf, and he liked it.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Olive-green eyes fluttered open, misty with fever and confusion. Maybe shifting so early was a bad idea...he groaned softly and curled himself tighter; a difficult feat since he was already in a fetal position.

            Tristan was beginning to think like a human again. A little bit, anyway. He felt a longing for someone or something, and he wasn't sure what. The feeling he got from the scant and fever-clouded memories was so familiar and comforting...and oddly enough he couldn't remember what he was remembering.

The brunette's body was suddenly racked with coughs and he whimpered, shivering with the cold of only having torn jeans on. That person...who was he...was it even a he...? He couldn't remember anymore. Slowly he let the tranquil dark of unconsciousness take him and he slept once more.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            "Is this the place Joey?"

            "Yeah, 'dis is weh I saw 'im the otheh day."

            "I still say that accent is ridiculous..."

            "I heard 'dat, you English muffin! Winston Churchill was full of shi—"

            "If you two insult each other one more time I'll kick you both to the moon!"

            "Yes, ma'am..."

            "Do you have the potion, Seto?"

            "In my pocket, Yugi. Just in case, does anyone have anything silver?"

            "I got my switchblade, but I ain't usin' it on Tristan. I'd rather kill myself 'den kill my best buddy..."

            "Then I'll take it."

            "D'ya know how ta use it?"

            "....Not exactly."

            "You spoiled rich bastards are all alike..."

            "You hush your barking, little Chihuahua. I can figure it out."

            "I am NOT a Chihuahua! If ya don't use it right ya could hurt yerself! I'll just keep it, jeez..."

            "Did I hear that right? Was the puppy worried I'd hurt myself?"

            "Shyaddap or I'll find Tristan an' sic 'im on ya."

            "If you don't watch your mouth—"

            "Can we just go, please?"

            "Fine by me, Yug'."

            "...Whatever."

            "I'm glad that's settled."

            "Can I please go home? I mean really, I'm not cut out for werewolf hunting and—"

            "Bakura?"

            "Yes, Joey?'

            "Shyaddap and follow us."

            "......I really don't like this."

            "I know, now shut up and follow."

            "Yes sir...tally ho, I guess."

(())(())(())(())(())**Pollute My Heart Drain**(())(())(())(())(())

Nearly finished! This chapter sucks, I know, but I'm not good at building up to a climax! *holds up fluffy cute werewolf puppy* But you'll keep reading for this li'l guy, won'tchya? Look at those big, cute eyes and tell me 'no'. *CHOMP* OW! Why you cotton-pickin' rabbit eater, I'll—"Arf! *wags tail*" ..........HOW CUTE! o^.^o *glomp*


	8. You Gave Me This

Author's Notes: Weird, everyone seems to think Kura-chan (Bakura) is a werewolf...*sing-song* But he's nooo~t! Someone else IS a werewolf, but it's not him. (Here's a hint: barking in Spanish. o^.~o) Here's a note to The Ruloi Collective: *gasp!* We need to discuss many things, Ru-san...and thank you for spying Seto for me! I'm gonna catch him and send him to my Seto-obsessed friend as a going-away present. She's moving to Oregon soon and that sucks since I'll be on the exact opposite side of the country! . Anyway, couldjya tell me which direction he went in? Fluffy needs to know what direction to sniff in...:) Bwahaha...

By the way..._This is werewolves talking._ o^.~o

**Changes**

**Chapter Eight: You Gave Me This**

            After crawling through the drainpipe entrance, the five "werewolf hunters" had discovered the tunnels and were now wandering through them. Bakura was shuddering occasionally, Téa looked around nervously, Yugi jumped at the slightest noise, and Seto and Joey were the only two who were calm.

            "How long are we going to be down here? It's almost dark and the moon's going to come up soon..." Bakura whimpered, looking at his watch fearfully.

            "We're gonna be down here until we find Tristan, full moon risin' or not."

            "But...but he could—"

            "Switchblade, remember?"

            "Oh..."

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Tristan twitched a little in his sleep, coughing every now and then. His breathing was now shallow and erratic and every intake of air rattled in his lungs. His sickness _had_ come from changing back to human too early because his body was still adjusting to the new metabolism and it had a set rhythm; at moonrise he was a wolf and at moonset he was a human. The moon hadn't set when he had shifted back and now his rhythm was off and his body was suffering from it. The cold and damp of the tunnels didn't help much, either.

            He had thought werewolves did not get sick, but they did—when it was their own fault. When they made themselves susceptible to disease by shifting too early or leaving non-silver bullets in their bodies too long (Tristan hadn't known this, he had just seen the bullet as a nuisance in a shallow wound), they could get quite ill.

            "Joey..." he murmured in his feverish repose, curling up tightly and coughing. He briefly remembered that it was Joey who made him feel so comfortable and safe, despite the fact that he was the one who acted like a big brother to the blonde boy. Now he had forgotten from the burning fever that clouded his mind and heated his body while he still felt so cold. He would remember things on and off and wake up sometimes, only to curl up tighter, wish for warm blankets, and fall back asleep.

            At first he'd wanted to be human again, then he loved being a wolf and wanted to be alone. Now he wanted someone to scoop him into their arms and hold him and stroke his hair like they did when he was a child, telling him everything was okay and that it would be alright. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

            "Joey..."

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            The golden-eyed man was now a golden-eyed wolf and was stalking through the tunnels. He smelled humans. He was hungry and humans meant food. How many were there...hm...he sniffed the air. Five. Four males, one female. Splitting them up would be easy in the tunnels.

            And females were easy to catch.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            "JOEY! YUGI! SETO! BAKURA! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?"

            Nothing but echoes. And then a snarl.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            "TÉA! SETO! JOEY! BAKURA! Yami...HEEEEELP!!!"

            //_Calm down!/_/

            "I'm gonna die!!"

            //_Yugi__, you're not going to die./_/

            "I am! The werewolf's gonna find me and he's gonna eat me and— "

            //_YUGI!_//

            "Yeah?"

            //_You're not going to die./_/

            "But what about the werewolf? What if he smells me and comes to find me and..." Yugi continued nervously walking and chattering to Yami what the werewolf could do to him.

            //_By Ra, I hate werewolves..._//

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            "YUGI! JOEY! SETO! TÉA! Oh, bloody hell...I told them I wasn't good for werewolf hunting! I want my mum..."

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            "Shit. Wrong turn. It just _had_ to be that flagpole of an oaf to get bitten and Mokuba just HAD to make me promise to help Yugi and every last one of his friends...dammit."

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Joey sighed and shook his head. Somehow in the darkness of the tunnels they had gotten separated. Seto still had the potion and, even if he hadn't said anything, Joey had noticed he had a gun with what he thought/half-hoped were silver bullets, and _he_ had the switchblade, but the others had no defense against a werewolf. He slipped off his trenchcoat and sighed again.

            "I can't believe I'm doing this..." he mumbled before slowly removing the rest of his clothes. "Tristan owes me big time now..." The blonde took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt a tingling all over his body but he barely felt anything else, not even his body twisting and morphing.

            And instead of Joey there was now a creature that looked almost exactly like a wolf, except it had golden-blonde fur, a large mane-like ruff, and a thin and not very long tail.

            _Okay buddy, here I come._

            But he was detoured by the scream of a girl.

(())(())(())(())(())**Made Me Give**(())(())(())(())(())

Barking in Spanish=CHIHUAHUA! o^.^o Joey-wolf! Were-Jounouchi! Why he's a werewolf will be explained in the next and final chapter. *holds up werewolf puppy* Keep reading for him? Please? "Arf! Arfarf!" Idn't 'e da kyuuutest widdaw puppy-wuppy you ever saw? Whosacutie? Yes you are! o^.^o *_CHOMP!!_* YOW! WHY YOU CONSARNED LITTLE RAT-WOLF, I'M GONNA—!! "Ruff! *wags tail and pants*" ............How cute! *glomp* o^.^o


	9. Nothing Hurts Like...

Author's Notes: This is it, ladies and gentleman. It's the final chapter and the final showdown. It's gonna be long, so beware...And thank you so much, Ruloi! (Werewolf queen...I never imagined such a title! *blush*) As I said, my friend is moving to Oregon so that pans out with my plans perfectly! (I don't have to send him by air mail now...o^.^o) Okay, Fluffy, here's the big pink ribbon and the box and the chains...now you remember what to do, right? Find him, strip him down to his boxers, tie him up with the chains and ribbon, stuff him in the box, and we're all set! Remember to send him by UPS. o^.~o

**Changes**

**Final Chapter: Nothing Hurts Like...**

            "S-Stay away...stay away from me..." Téa squeaked nervously, trembling with fright. The large black werewolf crept closer despite her pleas and she screamed for a second time.

            "WE'RE COMING TÉA!" she heard Yugi's voice from farther down the tunnels and the werewolf's ears pricked up for a moment before lowering flat against its head again. It snarled, baring its gleaming yellow fangs. It was almost to her now, and it lowered to the ground more, ready to pounce. As it began its motion forward, another large, furry form hit it full force, sending the two creatures into a screaming, growling, roaring, fighting heap. Yugi appeared around a corner in time to see the creatures snapping and clawing at each other; Seto and Bakura appeared shortly after. All three had looks of shock on their face and the terrified girl was trembling uncontrollably.

            With a shriek, the black metamorph threw the brown one off. It quickly regained itself and snarled, seeming to wince from pain. "It" turned out to be Tristan, who kept snarling despite heavy, labored breathing. His green eyes shimmered with rage, though they were still misted with fever. Both werewolves kept growling, unmoving, almost...speaking to each other.

            _I thought you didn't care about them, boy._

            _Shut up!_

            _You shouldn't fight when you're ill, child..._

            _Strange, it sounds like you care._

            _I don't care. It'll just be much too easy to kill you now._

            With that, the ebony-furred beast hurled himself at Tristan and they began the fight again, tumbling away from Téa and allowing the three boys to rush over and lead her farther away from the battle. She collapsed into Bakura's chest with a sob and began to shake again. The silver-haired boy's face flushed a little and he stroked her hair awkwardly to comfort her. Seto's hand fell to the gun hidden within his trenchcoat, but the two creatures were twisting and moving so much it was highly likely that he would hit Tristan instead of the other one. Who knows _what _Joey would do to him if he killed the boy...

            The coal-black monster reared back and cuffed the brown-furred one hard, drawing blood. The red fluid stained the younger beast's muzzle and he leapt away, dashing away down the tunnels and around the corner with the leaping strides that were trademark to the variety. The black beast was quick in pursuit.

            The four humans stood for a moment, staring after the animals with wide eyes. All except the girl, of course; she was still crying into Bakura's chest. She slid to her knees and buried her face into his stomach, gaining a soft yelp from the boy. The other two knelt beside her and tried to console the girl.

            "It's okay, Téa, they're gone..." Yugi murmured, caressing her short hair gently. Seto put a gentle hand on her back and she burrowed further into Bakura's stomach, her grip on his waist tightening. The boy made a strangled noise and blushed furiously.

            '_I bloody well didn't ask for **this**..._' he thought glumly, staring forward with an expression of helplessness.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Joey kept running but he just couldn't find their scents. He hoped they were alright...

            And then he smelled water. Dirty water, but water nonetheless. Maybe he could get his bearings from there...

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            The four teens discovered the cylindrical room and were beginning to cross one of the catwalks, hoping to find either Joey or Tristan. Hopefully not the other werewolf, though.

            The heard a noise like claws against metal and saw Tristan walking on one of the catwalks below. He began to slow and tremble, then he coughed (it was a very strange sound, actually), and then he collapsed into a heap, his furred chest heaving. The four began to move quicker to the tunnel on the other side and find a way down to him when they saw the black werewolf creeping up to Tristan. It snarled and then sniffed the air. And then it looked up at them with lantern-like eyes. It blinked, snarled and moved on to the tunnel on the other end of its catwalk.

            They all waited for a moment, expecting it to appear before them, and when it didn't they hurriedly moved on.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Now the water's scent was far away. What the hell was wrong with this place?! He kept running anyway.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            They were now on a closer catwalk and were halfway across it when the werewolf appeared from the blackness of the opposite entrance. It growled viciously and moved closer. Seto whipped out the gun and pointed it directly at the lycanthrope; it froze, a paw still in the air, and growled louder. Slowly it set the paw down and lowered itself closer to the ground, crouching and ready to spring. The gun in Seto's hand was beginning to quiver a little.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            The water was closer and he could barely see light coming from somewhere....

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            The creature began to creep closer.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Almost there!

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Seto fired. The werewolf had dodged in a flash and it knocked the gun out of Seto's hand in one powerful blow. It pinned him to the ground in a split second and was about to tear his throat out when—

            They all heard a howl.

            It came from farther within the tunnels and it sounded so much like a real wolf's....

            The beast's jaws were open and around Seto's neck; its fangs were just brushing his throat. It moved its head away and stared up at a tunnel's dark entrance. Seto slowly reached for the discarded gun...

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            So very close!

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            The werewolf spied his movement and glared down at him, snarling. It lowered its fangs to his neck. Seto's blue eyes went wide and he trembled in pure fear, an emotion he didn't feel very often, and was about to accept death when a wolf's angered growl caused the metamorphic beast to look up in surprise.

            There was a wolf on a higher catwalk with golden fur and blazing brown eyes. Its glittering white fangs were bared and its hackles were raised to the point of looking like it had been put through the dryer with no softener.

            The black werewolf snarled.

            The golden one snarled back. And then leapt down to knock the beast and itself off of Seto and into a fighting tumble that had the catwalk shaking like mad and the gun slip off the edge and land in the water with a splash. So much for last resorts.

            The sandy-furred wolf leapt off of the other creature and bounded away into the darkness of the tunnels, the other creature quick in pursuit.

            Again, the four stared after them. Slowly Yugi walked over to Seto and knelt down next to him.

            "A-are you okay, Seto?"

            The blue-eyed brunette looked up and stared at the shorter boy for a moment before answering.

            "I...I'm fine. Just...a little scratched." '_And scared half to death._' he added to himself. He'd never been that afraid in his entire life, not even when a situation concerned Mokuba. And that was pretty damn scared.

            Slowly and shakily the older teen stood up, looking for support on the catwalk's railing. Some of the metal bridges had railing, some did not. He was thankful this one did.

            All four stared down at the catwalk Tristan was on. He hadn't moved and was still breathing heavily. They wondered what was wrong with him but that thought was quickly put aside as they saw the blonde werewolf leaping into view and then bounding over Tristan before screeching to a halt, whipping around, and sniffing the ill lycanthrope worriedly. It looked up and snarled fiercely as the other quadruped stalked into view as well. It put a protective blonde paw on the fallen werewolf and suddenly it struck everyone just who this new creature was.

            "That's Joey..." Yugi whispered in awe.

            "I didn't know he was a werewolf..." Bakura said in the same low tone.

            "We all didn't. He never told us." Téa informed him just as quietly.

            The jet-black beast growled at Joey and he growled back. Again, it seemed like they were talking.

            _So you're this cub's friend, huh? When did you get bitten?_

            _I was born, not bitten. You'd better stay away from him..._

            _He's dying, you know. He's very, very sick. You might as well let me kill him to put him out of his misery._

            _I can save him._

            _I'm sure you can, kid, but we have score to settle._

            _Then settle it with me! I can fight and he's lying here sick! It'd be much more of a challenge._

            _I'm not after you._

            _But I'm after you for doing this to my best friend! YOU'LL PAY FOR CURSING HIM!!_ Joey let out a terrible roar and lunged, turning the two creatures into a rapidly moving, biting, snarling, screeching fight once more. The black one hurled Joey across Tristan, leapt onto him, and sank his teeth into Joey's ruff. He bit only fur so he quickly snapped his jaws on the younger creature's middle back. Joey yelped once, then again, and then in the blink of an eye the black metamorph was off of Joey and being torn to pieces by an enraged Tristan.

            He screamed. He clawed. He ripped. And soon there was hardly anything left but a bloody pile.

            And then he howled.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Everyone stared in horror as Tristan finished his kill and stumbled away from it. He only got a few paces before collapsing again, quivering and whining. Joey leapt over and nuzzled his fallen friend, whimpering worriedly.

            The humans ran across the rest of the catwalk and hurried through the tunnels to the two creatures. When they arrived at them, one was a wolf and the other was human again. Tristan lay shivering and naked with Joey's furred body blocking anything not desired to be seen. Téa blushed and turned away while the other two just blushed; Seto took of his trenchcoat and began to slowly walk over, stepping over what was left of the other one gingerly. The blonde werewolf stepped over his friend and allowed Seto to cover him with the coat. When the human looked up he was looking into chocolate brown wolf eyes.

            They stared at each other for a long moment, and then Seto smirked.

            "I won't call you a Chihuahua anymore, Joey." he said, petting the lycanthrope's soft head gently. He panted happily and wagged his tail in reply. Seto looked back down at Tristan and delicately turned him onto his back and lifted his head. He searched in the pocket of his trenchcoat and pulled out the vial with the amethyst-colored liquid inside; then uncapped it and held it to the boy's lips. The brunette swallowed it as a reflex, still unconscious.

            The other three walked over to them, avoiding the bloody carcass just as gingerly, and gazed worriedly at their sick companion. Joey abruptly bounded off and they stared after him in confusion.

            "I wonder where he's going..." Yugi murmured, tilting his head to the side a little.

            "I don't know but I think we should wait here." Seto replied.

            "Why?"

            "I just have a feeling..."

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Joey did return a few minutes later, human in shape, wearing Tristan's torn jeans and his trenchcoat and carrying his own clothes in a bundle under his arm.

            "These should fit 'im pretty well. Eh, some of ya might wanna turn around..." he stated softly, setting the clothes down next to Seto. They all three did so and Joey and Seto began to dress the brunette.

            "So, when did you get bitten, Joey?" Yugi asked the blonde.

            "I wasn't bitten, I was born like this."

            "Werewolves can be born?"

            "Yep. It's like a recessive trait in my family. I just happened to be the lucky fella..."

            "So how come we never heard about you doing anything?"

            "I've never killed anythin' before in my life, not even a squirrel. I jes' go dumpster divin'. 'Member a while back when people kept complainin' 'bout a mixed breed dog with yellow fur runnin' around and gettin' in garbage cans? 'Dat was me. I'm fluffy, cute, an' friendly." he chuckled, smiling as he pulled his own jeans on Tristan. He hoped the brunette didn't mind wearing slightly used boxers...

            "I remember that. So, what are we gonna do with Tristan?"

            "Take 'im to a hospital. He needs it real bad."

            "Okay..."

            The two finished dressing the boy and Seto picked him up with a little difficulty.

            "Want me ta get 'im? I can hold 'im."  
  


            "That's—mph—okay." Seto paused, struggling with the boy in his arms. After a moment of trying not to drop him he said "Okay, okay, here." He shifted the sick teen into Joey's arms. The blonde held him easily.

            "Werewolves are stronger, remember?"

            "...Whatever. If he wasn't so tall I could have held him just fine."

            "Sure ya could."

            And they set off through the tunnels.

(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())

            Four full moons later, Tristan was back to perfect health and a human once more. All was normal, except now he was a vegetarian.

            Joey had earned a new nickname—"Jo-wolf".

            Téa was now a little jumpy around dogs.

            Yugi was very interested in lycanthropy.

            Bakura never wanted to see another werewolf again. Except Joey, that is.

            Seto's garden of 'special' plants accidentally got set on fire by Mokuba. The little boy was grounded for a month and had to help Seto pay for the new plants.

            All was fine, except for one thing. A police officer by the name of Brandon Huston had just been released from the hospital. Four months ago he had nearly been killed by a large brown dog without a tail. They'd thought he was dead but he just barely survived and was now home once more with new scars on his neck and a new story to tell. Something else was new, as well....

            It was the full moon and he was sitting in front of his television, watching the moving pictures. Ah, the life of a bachelor...

            Suddenly he fell off the sofa, clutching his stomach in pain as heat soared through his blood. And he had the sudden urge to howl.

(())(())(())(())(())**Your Mouth**(())(())(())(())(())

Dun dun DUNNN! :) Mwahahaha! It's over...or is it? Anyway, this is the longest completed story I've written since seventh grade! Thanks, everyone, for all your wonderful reviews. And always remember: beware the full moon, big dogs with glowing eyes and no tails, and pink bunnies and sporks! @.o;; *thud*


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